How Did Your Current Series Originate?

How Did Your Current Series Originate?

The idea for the Black Paintings series began when I attended a jazz history course and learned how Miles Davis developed cool jazz from bebop.

In bebop the notes were played hard and fast as musicians showcased their technical virtuosity. Cool jazz was a much more relaxed style with fewer notes, i.e., the music was pared down to its essentials.

Similarly "Black Paintings" evolved from dense, complex visual compositions into paintings that depict only the essential elements—the actors. 

I am drawn to Mexican and Guatemalan cultural objects—masks, carved wooden animals, papier maché figures, and toys—for reasons similar to those of Man Ray and the modernists, who in their case were drawn to African art.

These cultural objects are surrogates for human beings acting in mysterious, highly-charged narratives in my paintings.

While my series the Black Paintings was created out of profound pain, each image manifests irrepressible optimism.

My interest is in hearing what my audience sees, feels, and interprets.

www.barbararachko.com

Paintings:  "Alone Together"  "Between" "White Star" 

Bernard Poulin

Painter, Writer, Teacher

8 年

Artwork is the product we create when we paint or draw or sculpt. That we can explain since it is a process and is therefore explainable. To explain art, on the other hand is rather impossible since art is not a tangible. It is the essence of what exists within an artwork and it is what emerges from the artwork "if" in fact there is art within which can appear to the viewer. Think Mona Lisa. The Louvre owns the artwork but the impact, the essence cannot be owned. It belongs to all viewers who see and feel; i.e. : sense it. Artwork impact is a physical "visual" thing. Art when it exists causes a sensual reaction. And therefore, only the viewer can explain the "art" sensed. Naturally, this situation can cause a lot of "illusion". rather than actual sensation, as so many desire to "see" what is there - whether they actually sense it or whether there is any sensation to be had or not. :)

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Noah Perlis, MBA, J.D.

NYC FM Radio - Executive Producer. Nonprofits Pro Bono Consulting.

8 年

Beautiful work.

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